Alberto Tomba has always been fond of nature and snow, leading him to a love of skiing for fun and as a sport. He has been very active in sports throughout his life, but will be remembered for his accomplishments in skiing.Since he would spend most of his time training and practicing skiing, his childhood and adolescence were more isolated rather than socially active. But, the future World Champion skier always made time for his family.

While training required Tomba to be away from home for extended periods of time, his family has always been a vital part of his career. His father continuously motivated Tomba to realize his dreams, which meant constant practice and training. His younger sister Alessia -- who is Tomba's assistant -- was always close to her elder bothers, and was therefore exposed to sports and games at an early age.

As the only person to successfully defend an Olympic Gold medal in an Alpine skiing event, Tomba's long list of accomplishments began in 1987, when he won his first medal at the 1987 World Championships in giant slalom. After receiving his bronze, he brought home two gold medals from Calgary one year later; one for the giant, and another for the slalom.